Dark Fantasy’s Extra Chapter 177

I ran toward the Order with all my strength while carrying Sephira.

Though she was so strong, her body was too thin and light.

Though the strength of powerful people like Sephira comes from magical power so actual weight probably doesn’t matter much, she’s still too light.

Or have I become stronger?

Am I gaining a tiny bit of strength in exchange for becoming less human?

I’d rather not make that trade.

“Just a bit further…”

I can see the Order’s lights ahead.

Once we get there, there’s nothing to worry about.

That’s how it should have been.

That’s how it should have been, but why.

“Just… have to… get… there…”

I couldn’t control my body anymore and fell to my knees while still holding Sephira.

What’s happening to my body?

Is this a side effect of [Bullet Time]?

No… that’s not it.

This isn’t a magical power side effect, this is…

“…It’s paralytic poison.”

A voice came from the darkness.

Someone stood before me.

A faint fishy smell of the sea.

“And not just any paralytic poison – it’s one infused with cold energy. It affects normal humans for three days, though for a lower-ranked hunter like you it should last about half a day.”

Who…?

“You must be Eugene? Your accomplishments were truly… remarkable. I could hardly believe you were just a lower-ranked hunter. I was foolish to have thought so little of you.”

When I strained my neck to look up, I saw someone small wearing a mask with strange patterns.

Those patterns, and that attire…

It must be Amcho, one of Rusalka’s royal guards…

“And beside you must be the famous Sephira? What a good opportunity to handle both at once.”

Amcho pulled out the poisoned needle from behind my thigh and drew a dagger.

Well then.

Is this how I die?

This is too… meaningless…

After finally landing some good hits on the witches and Blanc.

What an unexpectedly pathetic end…

“Haha…”

Well, maybe this isn’t so bad.

I at least got to have one good final fight, so it’s not bad for a last battle.

The only regret is being unable to protect Sephira beside me.

Still… dying alongside a fellow hunter might be a little less lonely.

“Hey… At least make it painless when you cut.”

“What?”

“You’re planning to… cut our throats, right?”

“Wrong.”

Amcho said while applying poison to the dagger.

“Then what?”

“I’m only cutting this woman’s throat.”

Amcho grabbed Sephira’s hair and lifted her head.

Then held the poisoned dagger to her throat.

“You’ll be coming with me.”

“…Let’s make a deal.”

“A deal?”

“Let that woman go.”

“Why should I?”

“Because otherwise I’ll bite my tongue and die right here.”

“…Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

“…”

“…”

“…If some random person said that, I would have told them to stop talking nonsense. But when you say it… it sounds too much like the truth.”

“Nonsense or not, it is the truth… If you try to stop me, I’ll commit suicide the moment I see an opening. Even if you take me before Rusalka, I’ll kill myself as soon as my limbs are free. I’ll make sure to say your name before I die.”

“…Haah, nothing’s ever easy, is it.”

Amcho sighed and let go of Sephira without hesitation.

“The important thing is taking you anyway. What impressive nerve you have. However…”

Amcho put hands under my armpits and forcibly lifted me up.

“Don’t casually speak that person’s name.”

Then drove a fist hard into my stomach.

“Urgh…!”

It felt like my organs were being turned inside out.

The impact pierced through my gut and made my spine go stiff.

Nausea followed a beat later.

My stomach was being squeezed like a rag and I couldn’t hold it back.

“Blegh!”

“You’re weak. To think someone like you managed to manipulate both the Witch of Death and Blanc… It’s honestly amazing in a way. And I can see why that person worried about you.”

Amcho went back to Sephira.

“Hey… What are you doing…”

“Can’t you tell? I’m going to kill this woman.”

And grabbed Sephira’s hair again.

She still hadn’t recovered from [Soul Drain]’s effects.

“I… told you… I’d die…”

“So what?”

“What?”

“I was warned about you beforehand. Just as that person said, you’re far too dangerous. Though weak, you’re unpredictable and won’t follow orders.”

That person?

Is this not about Rusalka?

“You can’t die right now even if you want to. Remember I said the poison lasts half a day for you? During that time, your life is in my hands.”

Amcho said that and carelessly put the dagger back to Sephira’s throat.

“W-wait! At least… at least before killing her… there’s something I want to do…”

“…What is it?”

“Actually… she and I are lovers.”

“…”

“So… at least for the last…”

“…This is ridiculous. Fine. Since you can barely move right now anyway, I’ll give you one minute.”

“One minute… thank you. Then, um… bring me over to her for a moment.”

“You’re being annoying.”

Amcho sighed and came toward me.

Then grabbed and lifted me from the front again.

“What exactly do you want to do?”

“This, you fool.”

And I stabbed Amcho’s side upward at an angle.

“…!?!?”

Though Amcho frantically tried to push me away, I clung on and twisted the dagger I had thrust in.

“Gaaack…!!”

Amcho’s arms trembled and couldn’t properly exert strength.

The Amcho I remembered excelled at stealth and restraining, but had terrible defense.

At this close range, a silver dagger could reach the heart or lungs.

I twisted the knife one last time with all my strength, shoved Amcho away and kicked them down.

“Ho-ho-how…”

“Using cold-infused poison was your mistake.”

I have slight cold resistance, you see.

Who knew Snow White’s curse would come in handy like this.

I took out my Hand Cannon, loaded it and pulled the trigger while aiming at the dying Amcho’s head.

Amcho’s head burst like a watermelon with a crunch.

“…Haah.”

I collapsed weakly to the ground.

Even with cold resistance, I couldn’t do anything about the poison itself.

Since it was just paralytic poison I won’t die from it, but…

“…Damn it.”

To think I’d benefit from Margarete.

Though I’m glad it helped, I feel conflicted.

When I lay back exhausted, I could see the night sky.

The large blue moon.

Though the memory is faint, the moon is blue to remember someone.

I don’t know how I know such a thing.

Maybe my memories aren’t very reliable.

Did my past life on modern Earth really exist in the first place?

Even life there is hazy now – maybe it was my delusion from the start.

Perhaps what I thought was game knowledge from a past life was actually some kind of prophetic ability like Prophet Ryu…

“…Come on.”

I must be really tired.

Having such scattered thoughts.

I really don’t know what’s what anymore.

I’m tired so maybe I should just… sleep…

* * *

Sephira slowly raised her body.

Though she could barely move even her lips, let alone fingers, due to Bari’s mysterious technique, she had managed to maintain consciousness.

Thanks to that, she could hear everything about how Eugene protected her.

“…Once again, you saved me.”

Sephira looked down at the sleeping Eugene.

His tired face.

Though he was never particularly bright to begin with, there used to be strength visible in his eyes and expression, but now none of that remained.

Yet even so, Eugene had saved Sephira again.

“And…”

Sephira put a hand to her chest.

She could still feel her heart pounding.

Eugene’s earlier words about them being lovers.

Though she knew it was just a shallow lie to buy time, her spine still tingled and her heart trembled when she heard it.

Indeed…

“Indeed… I can’t be without you.”

Sephira looked around.

No presences could be felt.

It seemed both Blanc and the witch had withdrawn.

Then… right now it was just Sephira and Eugene, alone.

“…”

Sephira carefully lay down beside Eugene and rested her head on his arm.

Since no one was watching, she wanted to indulge herself just a little.

A subtle human warmth transmitted from Eugene’s arm and chest.

That warmth seeped in deeper than any deadly poison.

If only time could stop like this.

And Eugene and Sephira were discovered the next morning.

* * *

“Now then…”

Jarkoff sat alone in a chair in the secret room, staring at his mother’s bisected corpse.

Pale skin and lifeless eyes.

Not even blood flowed from the cut surface.

It was laughable that his father’s heart had been swayed by such a doll.

“…Ha.”

So he laughed.

“Hahaha, haha, ahahahahaha…. Hahahaha!”

He laughed like a madman alone in that place.

His father whom he respected all his life but who got fooled by such trash and pushed him toward ruin.

His childhood friend whom he kept in his heart but couldn’t even confess to before growing distant.

That man who steadfastly refuses everything while other women cling to him.

And himself laughing before his mother’s corpse.

Everything was laughable.

“Haha, haah… But… it wasn’t so bad.”

At least in the end he got to strike back at the witch who started all this calamity.

So…

“…Maybe this is enough now.”

Jarkoff took out a gun.

And put the barrel to his temple with a smile.

This should do it now.

“…Jacob.”

Then Jeanne’s corpse spoke.

“I love you. Both I and your father love you.”

“Shut up with your nonsense. You’re just a doll.”

Jarkoff said in a sharp voice, his mood souring at the end.

“…I’m sorry.”

“If you’re sorry.”

Jarkoff turned the gun that had been aimed at his head toward Jeanne.

“You shouldn’t have let yourself be used from the start.”

Jeanne’s sin was being swept along by others.

Previously a puppet controlled by his father, now controlled by the witch.

Of course that wasn’t her own fault.

The ones at fault were the selfish people who used Jeanne.

“…”

What about me?

In the end, didn’t I also use mother’s corpse as a means to talk with the witch?

“…Everyone’s insane.”

Jarkoff pulled the trigger.

The bullet flew toward the bed… and hit the lamp beside it.

Burning fragments scattered to the ground and ignited the oil that had been spread, flames quickly spreading.

“This is enough for me. Time for my exit… Though I’m not sure if I ever had a place to begin with.”

The gun in Jarkoff’s hand fell to the ground.

“Haah… Goodbye, Hilde…”

The last thing that came to mind was that girl.

Back then he thought that someday with Hilde…

No, let’s stop thinking about that too.

It has nothing to do with me anymore.

“…Young master!!”

And with Ulysses’s voice, the door was smashed open.